Intelligentsia Cup cycling series could make stop in Glen Ellyn

Pro and amateur cyclists from around the globe could race along tree-lined streets near Lake Ellyn in a new event in the Intelligentsia Cup series.

The Tour of Lake Ellyn - the lake once was the backdrop of a little-known race in the 1970s - would debut in July in Glen Ellyn and draw roughly 1,000 spectators, organizers say.

Neighbors along the proposed route are invited to a meeting Wednesday night to give feedback to village officials, who are considering whether to grant a permit allowing organizers to stage the event.

Invites have been sent to nearly 300 addresses in the neighborhood, where streets and driveways would be blocked to traffic, Assistant Village Manager Al Stonitsch said.

Organizers also will give a brief presentation during the meeting, set to begin at 5:30 p.m. on the third floor of the Civic Center, 535 Duane St. They are billing the tour as an all-day, festival-like event with entertainment, food and beverages, vendors and free kids races.

The pros would top speeds of 30 mph on a scenic course that starts at Lenox Road and Linden Street, winds around the 25-acre Lake Ellyn park, heads south past Glenbard West High School on Crescent Boulevard, northeast on Lake Road and eventually finishes at Lenox and Linden.

Paralympic athletes and veterans also would compete in a handcycling race.

Glen Ellyn cycling enthusiasts helped draw the attention of the Intelligentsia Cup, Stonitsch said.

The series traditionally is held over seven days in late July, and previous races have traveled through Chicago, Waukegan, Elmhurst and Lake Bluff.

The Tour of Lake Ellyn is tentatively set for 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 16.

Stonitsch said organizers are working on several concepts to accommodate residents who live along the route. Golf carts, for instance, may be able to shuttle them back and forth from their homes to a satellite parking lot.

Village trustees are expected to consider the permit and the neighbors' input during a workshop meeting April 18. The board formally would vote April 25.